AFR - Financial Review - 29.11.2011

A legally blind farmer trying to stop coal seam gas (CSG) exploration on his farm in the NSW Hunter has been taken to the Lands and Environment Court.
Nu Coal Resources, the company behind the Doyles Creek mining proposal at Jerrys Plains, has taken Mr Moore and his wife Robyn to the court in an attempt to gain access to their property for gas exploration and drilling, the Nature Conservation Council (NCCNSW) of NSW said.

The case, which began on Tuesday morning and is set down for a two day hearing, highlights how the current laws are failing landholders, NCCNSW CEO Pepe Clarke said.

“It is completely unacceptable that exploration can be approved on people’s property without their permission and without adequate information about water and environmental impacts,” Ms Clarke said in a release on Tuesday.
“The court case … is an iconic battle that epitomises the ongoing loss of community assets, water sources and environmental integrity of the Hunter Valley.”

The Moores have refused access to their property until a water study is completed.